Description

A man climbs into Ferdinand Sponer’s cab, gives the name of a hotel, and before he reaches it has been murdered: shot through the throat. And though Sponer has so far committed no crime, he is drawn into the late Jack Mortimer’s life, and might not be able to escape its tangles and intrigues before it is too late…
Twice filmed, I Was Jack Mortimer is a tale of misappropriated identity as darkly captivating and twisting as the books of Patricia Highsmith.

Publisher Review

The cast of this brilliant thriller ... are pure Raymond Chandler ... but the Viennese setting gives it an extra, stylish twist. It's excellently written and fearsomely gripping. -- Kate Saunders The Times Very few novels published in recent years match its daunting panache... The fast-moving, cleverly convoluted plot is brilliantly served by the sustained irony of Ignat Avsey's witty translation... a terrific book, one to read and then urge everyone else to follow suit... a truly clever, rather wonderful book that both plays with and defies genre. -- Eileen Battersby Irish Times A fascinating snapshot of Vienna between the wars, pacey and entertaining -- Laura Wilson Guardian The action shifts and shimmers in a Vienna that comes to life -- Eileen Battersby Irish Times